1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for manufacturing a woven slide fastener stringer having a row of continuous filamentary coupling elements woven integrally into a stringer tape.
2. Prior Art
Various methods and apparatus for manufacturing woven slide fastener stringers have been proposed and used. An apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 50-36,249 published Apr. 5, 1975 has a rotor for coiling an element-forming filamentary material of synthetic resin in a conical orbital path around a mandrel into a row of coupling elements as they are woven into a stringer tape in synchronism with the weaving of the latter. The known apparatus is complex in construction and hence needs tedious and time-consuming adjustment and maintenance.
According to another known apparatus shown in West German Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2,221,885 published Nov. 30, 1972, an element-forming filamentary material is coiled into a row of coupling elements without using a rotor and a mandrel, the coupling elements being woven into a stringer tape as the latter is woven. The apparatus includes a rocker arm angularly movable in a plane substantially parallel to the general plane of the stringer tape for moving a hook into and out of a warp shed across warp threads to coil the element-forming filamentary material around the hook. The hook thus arranged is likely to interfere or otherwise damage the warp threads, particularly when the apparatus operates at a relatively high speed. A small-sized hook may reduce damage to the warp threads but is apt to fail to catch the element-forming filamentary material.